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FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016

A taste of history

Toxic fumes kill couple, leave baby in hospital

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

POLICE suspect toxic fumes from a generator killed a married couple and left their infant granddaughter in critical condition yesterday morning.

All three were found unresponsive by neighbours, who forced their way into

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ENVIRONMENT & Housing Minister Kenred Dorsett criticized a Tribune

report yesterday, emphasising that the Bahamas Mortgage Corporation has been conducting audits required by law.

The Tribune reported that several years worth

Taste of h istory

Sunnyside rises in

the east

MAN SHOT DEAD AND BOY INJURED IN SHOOTING

BY SANCHESKA BROWN Tribune Staff Reporter sbrown@tribunemedia.net

ONE MAN is dead and a teenage boy is fighting for his life in hospital after they were shot multiple times late Wednesday night in the Centreville area.

Police say the two victims were standing in front of a home on Burial Ground Corner shortly after 10pm when two men with a handgun and shotgun approached them and fired several shots before fleeing the area on foot.

The adult was pronounced dead at the scene while the 16 year old boy was taken to hospital, where he is listed in serious, but stable condition.

Police have not identified the victim, but The Tribune understands he is Davano Dacosta.

This latest homicide takes the country’s murder count to 48 for the year, according to The Tribune’s records.

POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING SOCIAL SERVICES FRAUD CLAIM

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE BAHAMAS flag flying outside the Nassau Village home where an adult male and female along with an infant were found unresponsive.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

DORSETT INSISTS LAW FOLLOWED ON MORTGAGE CORP AUDITS

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

Page 13

Food, page s 8&9

the Butler Street home in Nassau Village sometime after 8am.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Stephen Dean said the infant exhibited “little signs of vital life” at the time of the discovery.

Neighbours identified the deceased as Brady and Princess Simms, area residents since the late 1980s.

SEE PAGE TWO

BRADY and Princess Simms, who died at their Butler Street home.

BELLES OF THE BALL

of audits for the Bahamas Mortgage Corporation (BMC) remain outstanding.

In a joint statement with BMC chairman Alex Storr, Mr Dorsett said the tabling of audits for 2014 and 2015

has been delayed because the BMC is in the process of finding a new company to conduct its audits. He noted that the head of the previous company, Jeffrey Beneby, of Beneby & Co, died.

As for 2013, Mr Dorsett said that year’s audit was completed and “sent to the Cabinet office to be approved for tabling”.

ACTING Deputy Commissioner Anthony Ferguson said yesterday that police are investigating claims of fraud at the Department of Social Services as revealed in a recent report by the Auditor-General.

Mr Ferguson sought to clarify the confusion over the matter as he had told reporters on Tuesday that the police were not investigating the claims. His turnaround follows an announcement by Social Services Minister Melanie Griffin, who said she had forwarded the matter to the authorities.

SEE PAGE SIX

PLP RATIFIES SEE PAGE SIX FITZGERALD AND HALKITS FOR FNM CHAIRMAN ACCUSED OF BEING ‘LAPDOG’ 2017 RACE

AS FORT CHARLOTTE MEETING DELAYED

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net

NEWLY-ELECTED Free National MovementChairman Sidney Collie has been accused of orchestrating a series of “underhanded political tactics” all geared towards ensuring that party leader Dr Hubert Minnis “is placed in the best position” ahead of the organisation’s Novem-

ber national convention.

Sources within the party last night claimed that Mr Collie, whom they characterised as a “lapdog” installed to do the bidding of Dr Minnis, has “worked endlessly to contravene the laws of the party to stack the deck in (Dr) Minnis’ favour.”

An irate party insider lambasted the current leadership regime, saying that Dr Minnis’ fear of losing at

the convention has forced him to use “stupid strategies” that will ultimately doom the FNM. “This is a calculated and insidious conspiracy by Minnis and his lapdog Sidney Collie. What they are attempting to do is elect association slates that will yield to the directive of them.

“This leadership wants to SEE PAGE THREE

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net

THE PLP has ratified its second pair of 2017 general election candidates – Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald and State Minister of Finance Michael Halkitis – as senior party officials declaring that the “new generation” leaders’ mantra was alive and well.

SEE PAGE SIX

PAGE 2, Friday, May 20, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

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POLICE outside the Nassau Village home where an adult male and female along with an infant were found unresponsive.

TOXIC FUMES KILL COUPLE, LEAVE BABY IN HOSPITAL

from page one

While an autopsy will have to confirm the cause of death, ACP Dean said it is possible that the use of a generator that was found attached to the house, and left running overnight, may have “contributed” to their deaths. He noted that the house was experiencing “technical issues so there was no electricity at the time”.

“We’re in the preliminary stages of our investigations,” he said. “Once we’re able to get some further information we’ll be able to reveal that information.

But we want to still use this opportunity for persons who might have apparatus, make sure get professionals to connect instruments to your house, make sure they’re in secure locations, and try and keep them away from your homes, particularly generators.

“And so we ask you to get professional advice and seek professional advice if you’re going to connect these things to your house,” he said.

Mr Simms was attached to the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) as a reserve officer at the time of his death, according to ACP Dean. The Tribune understands that his wife was an employee at the Ministry of Tourism.

Mr Dean said neighbours had to “force” entry into the home after getting no response from the deceased, leading to the discovery and the notification of the authorities.

All three were subsequently taken to hospital, ACP Dean said, where police later confirmed that the couple had already passed away.

Mr Dean said the death of Mr Simms and his wife made for a “sorrowful time” throughout the RBPF. “The adult male we can confirm is attached to the

RBPF as a reserve officer, who spent his lifetime as a police officer, came back and gave service to the country,” he said.

“This is a hard moment because one of their sons is a police officer attached to the Royal Bahamas Police Force and it’s not easy for him. So on behalf of the Commissioner, the senior executive management team of the RBPF and the Minister of National Security, we want to give our condolences and this time we will be behind the family, because they are dear to us, they are a part of us, so we will be behind the family.”

Two women, who both claimed to have known the deceased couple since 1987, said the Simms were both “really humble, nice people”.

“You don’t even know they live in this neighbourhood,” said one woman.

“When you see them they hail you, very humble people. No trouble people at all.”

Another woman said: “They wasn’t no problem to nobody. You see them getting ready, going to work, coming from work, going home, hailing you saying ‘How you doing’, ‘What you saying’, ‘Where you going’.

Never a problem.”

Yesterday, Bahamas Power and Light noted that there were several outages on Wednesday evening that were caused by adverse weather conditions, and in one instance a traffic accident. However, the company said it did not have any record of outages in the Nassau Village community in the past 24 hours.

In a statement, BPL Communications Manager Arnette Ingraham said: “While this event is certainly a tragedy, we continue to advise residents with generators to ensure that they are being used properly in the absence of supply by BEC/ BPL.”

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, May 20, 2016, PAGE 3

DNA: Minnis will have to ‘shape up’ to lead country

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net DESPITE courting the possibility of a coalition, Democratic National Alliance Branville McCartney would not reveal yesterday whether he thought FNM leader Dr Hubert Minnis would be better for the country than Prime Minister Perry Christie.

Mr McCartney said he was surprised by Dr Minnis’ willingness to form a coalition when pressed for details about such a merger at a press conference.

He noted that if a coalition is to be formed, he would have to “shape” Dr Minnis up a bit along the way. “(I would have to) toughen him up a bit and (get him) not afraid to tackle the big issues.”

Mr McCartney said discussions about the matter

are “still up in the air”.

“Dr Minnis was just on a talk show and someone characterized him in terms of how he is like a Perry Christie,” he said when asked if Dr Minnis would be a better leader than Mr Christie.

“I don’t know,” Mr McCartney said. “I can’t answer that. It’s difficult to answer that. I’m looking at the way his party is now and how Perry Christie’s party is. Perry’s ministers are running amok in this country and it looks like he has no control over it. You have certain people in the FNM doing all kinds of foolishness.”

Mr McCartney also downplayed a row that erupted in the press this week between him and Dr Minnis.

In an interview with The Tribune on Tuesday, Mr McCartney said the FNM was a “sinking” party, and

its leader was pompous and a poor politician. He emphasized that Dr Minnis could not keep his party together, and had allowed the Progressive Liberal Party to control him. Firing back, Dr Minnis called the DNA leader “arrogant” and “bombastic”.

Yesterday, Mr McCartney said he took no offence to Dr Minnis’ criticism.

“I’ve not bashed the good doctor,” he said. “I didn’t take offence to what Dr Minnis said of me. Not at all. I didn’t mean to hurt his feelings. The FNM is in disarray. You got different factions in the FNM. They’ve gone after their own leader.

They’re trying to oust him even now. They’re trying to call an early convention.

They say he’s weak. I don’t get into that.”

Mr McCartney said he is concerned that if the June 7th referendum on gender equality is successful, Mr

READERS PREDICT ELECTION WIN FOR COALITION

A COALITION between the FNM and DNA would win the next general election, according to voters in The Tribune’s latest online poll.

This week, DNA leader Branville McCartney said he would be open to such a move, and the majority of those voting on tribune242.com - 83.75 per cent - thought it would result in a victory at the polls next year.

Christie will try to call an early election.

“If they’re successful on this gaming referendum

Commenting on the issue, B_I_D___ said: “Unfortunately, a coalition is the only way the PLP will be defeated in this election . . . as it was, the PLP did not WIN the last election, they lost it to a majority of voters who happened to be split DNA and FNM. If the DNA and FNM remain split, I fear it will go straight back to the PLP.” But Birdiestrachan offered this: “Shall we say

they just might call an early election because there’s nothing else going on for this government,” he said.

they wanted the PLP more than they wanted the FNM or the DNA. I rest my case. Bran wants to be the big guy and the doctor wants to be the big man – they both have no vision.

Neither of the two parties attract the best the Bahamas has to offer.”

• Don’t miss your chance to join the debate on tribune242.com.

“There’s nothing else on the horizon. If they get a win, that’s a feather in the prime minister’s cap.”

FNM LEADER WOULD NOT HOLD CABINET POST AS PRIME MINISTER

By SANCHESKA BROWN Tribune Staff Reporter sbrown@tribunemedia.net

FNM LEADER Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday declared that he would not take a cabinet post if he became the next Prime Minister, instead serving only as the “CEO” of the executive body.

Dr Minnis also pledged to implement a recall policy for Members of Parliament who “do nothing” for their constituents.

On a Guardian radio talk show, Dr Minnis said he would limit the number of MP’s who are made Cabinet ministers to ensure that constituencies remain a top priority.

Dr Minnis said under his regime the “entire governing structure will change, from the top down.”

“I have stated that in my Cabinet, I will not accept a Cabinet post,” he said.

“I will be the CEO of the Cabinet to ensure that everything is done and everyone follows policies. I will ensure there are term limits

introduced for Prime Minsters and I will ensure that we have a recall policy.”

Dr Minnis said: “My feeling is that once an individual elects you as a member of Parliament you are employed by them and you are accountable to them for five years. You should not return two or three months before an election, having disappeared for four and half years and now ask them to reappoint or rehire you.

“If I was the public I would say ‘No, you have not performed for five years and you come back two months before.’ I would say ‘go to hell’.

Members of Parliament will be, there will be some Cabinet Ministers. However, there will be certain guidelines and if they don’t they will be dismissed or they will resign.

He said: “I know it is difficult to be in Cabinet and properly run a constituency but it will be aided by a properly defined, functional, local government.”

Dr Minnis also shut down rumours that the Free National Movement is falling apart after the resignation

of the former Senator Lanisha Rolle last week – the fifth senator to resign under Dr Minnis’ leadership.

Mrs Rolle’s resignation came after The Tribune published stories this week about an alleged recording in which she made disparaging comments about several FNM MPs, including Long Island MP Loretta ButlerTurner, during a conversation with political hopeful Lincoln Bain.

“There is no chaos in the FNM, this party is a democracy and persons are allowed to speak freely and then at the end of the day we come together and talk,” Dr Minnis said.

“The FNM is going through a transitional change and many people are resisting because people are resistant to change.

Hubert Minnis represents change, new leadership and new thinking. The thinking of yester-year must change.

The FNM becomes stronger and stronger every day.”

The FNM is scheduled to have a full convention before November 30.

FNM leader Dr Hubert Minnis.

FNM CHAIRMAN ACCUSED OF BEING ‘LAPDOG’ AS FORT CHARLOTTE MEETING DELAYED

from page one

end all form of challenges prior to the convention because they are afraid,” the insider noted.

“What they did in Fort Charlotte tonight is something they have done in other constituencies. They want to make sure that their people are in place, their candidates are supported; this regime wants to make sure that Minnis has no issues.

“Effectively, there are two factions and (Collie) is working to make sure that Minnis has his way. They are manipulating the vote to make sure of that. This isn’t democracy. This is a tragedy. This is horrendous.”

According to reports, members of the Fort Charlotte constituency branch of the FNM that oppose the current leadership have been restricted from participating in the branch’s voting process out of fear that they would circumvent the ratification of a pro-Minnis candidate in the area.

The Tribune understands branch members attempting to vote in the Fort Charlotte association election were informed moments

SIDNEY COLLIE, the new FNM chairman.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff before the vote that they had to be “financially current” with the party to vote at noon on Monday, May 16.

After a protest lodged by those members a decision was made to delay the vote until 6 o’clock that evening, At 6pm, a large percentage of those members re-

turned with outstanding balances in hand, but were informed that no national party officers were present to accept the payments. As a result, the vote was again postponed to Wednesday, May 18, with the stipulation that all members become “financially current” by

5pm on Tuesday, May 17.

However, The Tribune understands that the association members were informed on Tuesday that Mr Collie had decided to revert to his original decision – barring all members not current prior to 6pm on May 16 from the vote. That decision left more than 60 constituency members unable to cast ballots.

Subsequently, another protest was lodged, pushing Wednesday’s vote to May 31.

“Why have we gotten at least more than three different versions of what the rules are,” questioned one association member. “After complying with all stipulations, sir, can you tell us why those members are being unfairly and unconstitutionally disfranchised and not eligible to vote? For a new chairman this disorganisation, indecisiveness does not inspire confidence.

“Everyone who has signed up and became financial in order to participate in the election process should be empowered to do so. Just like the last time, they are playing by the rules. It has been a longstanding tradition in the FNM Fort Charlotte Constituency Association that

we give everyone the best opportunity to become financial. Your unreasonable cutoff date makes it appear that you are intentionally trying to disfranchise the people,” the association source added.

When contacted by The Tribune, Mr Collie denied the claims, stating that the FNM was conducting association processes in the way it has for the last 40 years. He said the notion that he was “working some conspiracy” could not have been further from the truth.

He contended that transparency and democracy was present for all to see.

“This is news to me. You have to understand that allegations are made every day, but these are baseless and I am not going to respond to them. The FNM

is doing things now, just as we have in years past. What you are seeing played out in Fort Charlotte, like all our other associations, is the way we have done things for the last 40 years,” he said.

This is not the first time Dr Minnis has been accused of these tactics. In January, a former council member in a scathing letter accused the Killarney MP of an “underhanded” move to oust former election candidates who are a part of the Council and replace them with new hopefuls to “stack the odds” in his favour.

PAGE 4, Friday, May 20, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

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Hillary Clinton: Trump is ‘not qualified’ to be President DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Hillary Clinton had some of her strongest words yet for presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, saying Thursday that he is “not qualified” to be president of the United States.

In an interview with CNN, the Democratic front-runner and likely nominee questioned Trump’s ability to handle complex foreign policy challenges, decrying what she described as his “irresponsible, reckless, dangerous comments”.

Clinton cited recent comments from Trump criticising Great Britain, praising the leader of North Korea and questioning America’s membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, or NATO. She said she knows “how hard this job is” and added that she had “concluded he is not qualified to be president of the United States”.

Trump responded Thursday on his website, saying Clinton “has bad judgment and is unfit to serve as President at this delicate and difficult time in our country’s history”.

Looking ahead to the general election, Clinton asserted that she “will be the nominee” for the Democratic party, noting her lead in delegates and votes over her Democratic opponent Bernie Sanders.

“That is already done in effect. There is no way that I won’t be,” said Clinton, who is 90 delegates short of clinching the nomination, though Sanders continues to win contests and has vowed to march on to the Democratic convention in July.

On divisions among Democrats, Clinton said she was committed to party unity, but argued that Sanders will also have to play a role in bringing Democrats together. She recalled that in 2008, after losing the primary to President Barack Obama, she endorsed him and campaigned for him.

“Whatever differences we may have, they pale in comparison to the Republican nominee,” Clinton said.

Asked if she should reach out to Sanders to work things out, Clinton said: “I am absolutely committed to doing my part.

But Sen. Sanders has to do his part.”

She declined to say whether she’d consider Sanders for her running mate if she wins the nomination.

Sanders spokesman Michael Briggs disputed the suggestion that the primary race was over.

“In the past three weeks, voters in Indiana, West Virginia and Oregon respectfully disagreed with Secretary Clinton,” he said in a statement. “We expect voters in the remaining nine contests also will disagree. And with almost every national and state poll showing Sen Sanders doing much, much better than Secretary Clinton against Donald Trump, it is clear that millions of Americans have growing doubts about the Clinton campaign.”

Clinton said she was ready to take on Trump, but vowed to keep the conversation focused on issues and her record, rather than personal attacks.

“He can say whatever he wants to say,” she said, later adding that if “you pick a fight with a bully, you know, you are going to be pulled down to their levels”.

Clinton said she would not engage with Trump when he takes shots at her husband, former President Bill Clinton.

“No, I know that that’s exactly what he’s fishing for. I’m not going to be responding,” Clinton said.

Clinton also spoke about the EgyptAir Flight 804, which crashed into the Mediterranean Sea early Thursday, saying it “does appear it was an act of terrorism” and it “shines a very bright light on the threat that we face”.

By Catherine Luey of the Associated Press

Fishing rules driving us away EDITOR, The Tribune.

A NEW draft of proposed flats fishing legislation has been released by The Department of Marine Resources. All Bahamians who fish, as well as guides that work in the business, second-homeowners with boats and even visitors to The Bahamas should be aware that both Bahamians and foreigners will be required to buy a fishing licence to fish in water less than six feet deep and if you get caught without one the fine is $3,000!

I think it may be helpful for your readers to understand the perspective of a bone fisherman from the United States in regards to the proposed new fisheries regulations, including the most recent April draft.

My family and I have visited the Out Islands for many years. We have fished many islands of the Bahamas: Abaco, Andros, Eleuthera, Cat Island, Long Island and Walkers Cay. We typically combine some days of fishing with a guide and other days of fishing on our own. We are devout “catch and release” fisherman and take great care to protect the fish and all marine resources.

We love the Bahamian people and have been well received in all the communities we have visited.

We believe our visits add to the economic wellbeing of the communities

we visit through the money we spend on meals we eat, guide and lodging fees we pay, the offerings we give when we attend church, and the shopping we do during our visit.

Unfortunately, since the advent of The Bahamas Fly Fishing Industry Association (led by Mr Prescott Smith) and Minister Gray’s proposed new flats fishing legislation we have put all planned trips to The Bahamas on hold.

While we certainly don’t mind buying a non-resident fishing licence at a reasonable fee for the duration of our stay, the severe punitive and vindictive aspects of the drafts we have seen thus far lead us to believe that we are not welcome to visit and fish in your country any longer.

For instance, why would we want to risk the forfeiture of our fishing gear and a $3,000 fine as well as the possibility of jail time for simply renting a skiff and trying to bonefish on our own during our stay?

In the interim, while we wait for closure on this legislation (that has been ongoing for an entire year now) we have instead vacationed and fished in Mexico, Belize, Idaho and Oregon. My wife and I and another couple are afraid to make reservations for a trip to The Bahamas this fall because of the unsettled state of affairs regarding bone-fishing and the draconian legislation.

We will not return to your country to fish until sensible legislation is enacted.

Hopefully more thoughtful heads will prevail on this and we will feel comfortable enough to return.

Even then, please know that we will specifically ask if a guide or lodge is a member or supporter of the Bahamas Fly Fishing Industry Association before booking. If they are, we will not utilise their services.

I do not believe they speak for all guides as the official voice of fishing in The Bahamas and further, I believe the forces behind this legislation have so thoroughly alienated fly fishermen across the world that the economic damage to your country (which I have heard is already being felt) will be long lasting.

I truly hate that - but I want your readers to understand from my perspective the cause of this damage and who is most responsible for the decline in flats fishing tourism to The Bahamas.

We hope your government understands the implications of the proposed fisheries legislation and acts in a reasonable, thoughtful way because we want to come back to The Bahamas we know and love.

CHUCK FLOURNOY Lynchburg, Virginia USA May 18, 2016

The four gender bills EDITOR, The Tribune.

OVER the past two years in The Bahamas and specifically within the last six months, the four Constitutional Bills to eliminate discrimination against women has been a very “hot topic”.

Everywhere you go, in the churches, schools, neighbourhoods, radio stations, newspapers and television, there is widespread debate.

The Government has set a date for the Referendum regarding the same: the 7th June, 2016.

To that end, I will give a brief overview of the above mentioned Constitutional Bills.

Bill number one (1) seeks to allow a married Bahamian woman having a child born outside of the Bahamas to pass on her Bahamian citizenship to her child.

Presently, the law allows only a married Bahamian man to do so. While the allowance of a Bahamian woman having the same right of that of the Bahamian man seems rather simple, many arguments have come forth stating that since the Bahamian woman chose to have a child with a foreign man, the child should be foreign; while they forget that the Bahamian woman should have the same right as the Bahamian man to pass on citizenship to her child.

Bill number two seeks to allow a married Bahamian woman to register her foreign husband for citizenship consideration.

Presently, the law allows only a married Bahamian man to do so. Again, while

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net it seems rather simple to balance this right to both the married male and female; many argue, in particular the men, that there will be an influx of foreign men coming into the country taking their jobs. Also some hypocritically stated that there will be marriages of conveniences, forgetting that presently the same disadvantage the Bahamian women face because the Bahamian men have and continue to marry foreign women.

Bill number three (3) seeks to allow the unmarried Bahamian man with proof of a paternity test to pass on his citizenship to his child. Presently, the law allows only the unmarried Bahamian woman to do so.

This too is simple balance between a man and woman, but unnecessary arguments exist here also.

Bill number four (4) seeks to add the word “sex” to the other items of discrimination in the Constitution. While the word “sex” is defined as male or female; of the four Constitutional Bills; Bill number four is the most controversial because some pastors and many ordinary citizens believe that a “Yes” vote will open the door to Same Sex Marriages and the words “at birth” should be added.

On the other hand, some other pastors and some ordinary citizens who support the Government believe

that there should be a “Yes” vote to all four of the Bills.

Sadly, what started out as a simple process to eliminate discrimination against women has again turned into “a political football”.

Some Bahamians find the present Government to be disingenuous in asking the Bahamian to vote “Yes” to the four Bills because in 2002, while they were in opposition, they voted “Yes” in Parliament for the Bills but came out of Parliament and told their supporters to vote “No”. Also fresh in the minds of Bahamians in 2012, there was a majority Referendum Vote to end the practice of Web Shops/ Number Houses and the Government went against the people and still passed the law in support of the same.

This has left a sour taste in the mouths of many Bahamians and many feel the Government cannot be trusted!

In light of that many Bahamians are either voting “No” or some are saying the Government is a waste of time and they are not voting at all!

In conclusion, my dear Bahamians, “let us not throw the baby out with the bath water”; let us intelligently look at each of the four Bills; stop giving into political distractions; pray and seek God’s Wisdom, go out to the Polls on the 7th June, 2016 and vote our conscience. Thank you!

PA COOPER Nassau, May, 2016.

Eat humble pie EDITOR, The Tribune.

IT IS unfortunate that the call by Sir Michael Barnett and others to the PLP government to apologise for its role in the referendum debacle of 2002 has been met by senior members of the government by remarks like “what for?” Indeed not only should the government apologise for this but it should also apologise to the Bahamian public for ignoring its wishes in respect of the so-called gambling referendum of 2013.

For, in discussing the forthcoming referendum with members of the public in groups and singly, it has been my experience that the two most frequently asked questions are: 1. Why should I vote yes, when in 2002 the PLP asked me to vote No? 2. Why should I vote in this referendum when the government will do whatever it wishes despite how the people vote?

Despite assuring these persons that the amendments are for the good of the people of the country

and giving examples, and also assuring the listeners that constitutionally the government is obliged to obey the wishes of the people on this occasion, I move away with the feeling that they will either vote no, or abstain.

Consequently, the government should eat humble pie and apologise, if it is serious about these amendments being passed.

JEANNE I THOMPSON Nassau, May 19, 201

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, May 20, 2016, PAGE 5

Butler-Turner: I stand with PLP over the referendum

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycck@tribunemedia.net FREE NATIONAL Movement MP Loretta Butler Turner fully supports and stands with the government on the forthcoming Referendum for Gender Equality in the Bahamas, and urges other Bahamians to do so as well for the sake of future generations.

“I will fight them (the Progressive Liberal Party) on every front, but for this one I do stand with them,” she told the Rotary Club of Freeport yesterday. “On this I will hold their hand and I ask you to do the same.”

The MP for Long Island said she supported it in 2002 under the FNM administration, and continues to support it now in 2016 under the PLP government.

She stressed that now is not the time for politics or for payback to the government for what happened with the gaming referendum.

“My fundamental beliefs about human rights and equality do not change depending on which government is in office. It is something that was right and just in 2002, and it is also right and just in 2016,” she said.

“I don’t have an argument with anyone who tells me the way they want to vote. I want to make sure I impart to you what the facts

are and you make your own decision. As for me, I am voting ‘yes’ to all four questions. I admonish you to do the same, but if you don’t that is what deepens or democracy.

“I accept that … some may have philosophical differences, but I do not accept when one raised the question out of anger against the government as a payback vote. I cannot accept that.”

She pointed out that the gaming referendum was an expensive opinion poll and that Bahamians were misled into thinking that it was a referendum. “They spent our money for the opinion poll and told us it would be a binding poll and they turned around and changed it, and I know it makes you apprehensive. But this one is a constitutional referendum and it cannot be changed by the whim of any minister or Prime Minister, whatever the results are,” she explained.

“I have heard many say I don’t understand voting no. Are we going to shut the door just because the leader of our country today 15 years ago voted yes in Parliament and came out for expediency or whatever reason and told you to vote no, and you feel you need to pay him back? No we have got to look out for our children. It’s not the time for retribution or payback.”

Mrs Butler-Turner said

that the referendum is about citizenship and ensuring that no laws are made that will not discriminate against someone because they are a man or woman.

She said it has nothing to do with same sex marriage or transgender. “It is only about equality for sons, daughters and our men and women,” the MP said.

She noted that much of the talk is not based on facts, but rather on supposition, false ideas and considerable misinformation.

Mrs Butler-Turner said that the referendum is another march and another chapter in the country’s march to freedom, “another opportunity for us as a people to bend the moral arc towards greater equality for certain group of women and certain groups of men. It is fundamentally about equality and basic fairness and justice.

“This referendum is a test of our commitment to freedom and equality. We should not allow unfounded fears to drown out the call of freedom and hope. Indeed, I find it quite disturbing that much of the debate is characterised by sexist, xenophobic and homophobic rhetoric. The notion that question four is somehow a pathway to same sex marriage is indeed a red herring, it is plainly wrong.

It is not only the right thing to do ethically, but it is in the interest of justice,” she said of the four bills.

LORETTA BUTLER-TURNER

BETHEL CRITICISES PM FOR WITHHOLDING FUNDING

LYALL BETHEL, pastor at Grace Community Church.

THE WORDING OF THE FOUR BILLS IN THE CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM Bill 1: Approval of alteration to Article 8 and the repeal of Article 9 of the Constitution.

Do you approve of The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2014?

Under the proposed change to the Constitution, a child born outside of The Bahamas would, after the coming into operation of this amendment, become a Bahamian citizen at birth if either its mother or father is a citizen of The Bahamas by birth.

Yes [ ] No [ ] Bill 2: Approval of alteration to Article 10 of the Constitution.

Do you approve of The Constitution (Amendment) (No 2) Bill, 2014?

Under this proposed change to the Constitution, the foreign spouse of a Bahamian citizen would, after the coming into operation of this Article, be entitled to apply for and obtain citizenship subject to satisfying: (i) existing national security or public policy considerations; and (ii) new provisions guarding against marriages of convenience.

Yes [ ] No [ ] Bill 3: Approval of alteration to Article 14 of the Constitution.

Do you approve of The Constitution (Amendment) (No 3) Bill, 2014?

Under this proposed change to the Constitution, a Bahamian father of a person born out wedlock after the coming into operation of this amendment would be able to pass his citizenship to that person subject to legal proof that he is the father.

Yes [ ] No [ ] Bill 4: Approval of alteration to Article 26 of the Constitution.

Do you approve of The Constitution (Amendment) (No 4) Bill, 2014?

Under this proposed change to the Constitution, it would be unlawful to discriminate based on “sex”, which would be defined as “being male or female”.

Yes [ ] No [ ]

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

PASTOR Lyall Bethel yesterday criticised Prime Minister Perry Christie for “withholding” funding for the vote “no” campaign in the gender equality referendum next month, claiming that that the country “is deserving of hearing both sides of the argument and not merely the side that he thinks to be promoted”.

Pastor Bethel, a member of Save Our Bahamas, a group urging a no vote to constitutional amendment four on the grounds that it would open the door to same-sex marriage, said it is an “obscene miscarriage of justice” for Mr Christie to withhold funds from a legitimate side trying to present the other side of the arguments for this referendum.”

Pastor Bethel also accused Mr Christie of “misusing” the Constitutional Commission to “not present both sides but to present one side”.

Pastor Bethel also said it is “grossly inappropriate and immoral” for the Prime Minister to be “treating the public funds as though it’s his own personal funds,” lamenting the fact that Mr Christie “has got the salaried ‘Yes Bahamas’ campaign”.

Last month Save Our Bahamas – the group that opposed the 2013 gambling referendum – submitted a letter to Mr Christie, requesting initial seed funding of $100,000 for its campaign. At the time, a representative of the vote “no” campaign said the group spent about $100,000 to promote their ideas in 2013, adding that a similar amount of money will be needed this time.

Yesterday, however, Pas-

tor Bethel suggested that Mr Christie has yet to respond, much less honour the group’s request.

“It is an obscene case of injustice for the Prime Minister to withhold funds from a legitimate side trying to present the other side of the arguments for this referendum,” he said. “And it is grossly inappropriate and immoral for him to be treating the public funds as though it’s his own personal funds, when the entire Bahamas is deserving of hearing both sides of the argument and not merely the side that he thinks to be promoted.

“He’s had a two years head start on us, misusing the Constitutional Commission to not present both sides but to present one side, and now he’s got the salaried Yes Bahamas campaign, that are going about with their plane trips paid for, with their announcements and commercials paid for, whereas ours we still have to raise the money for.

“We are in Abaco (yesterday) with money that we had to go into our pockets to ride on the plane. And that’s just an obscene miscarriage of justice, and it’s shameful that our Prime Minister is acting in such a fashion.”

Nonetheless, Pastor Bethel said the group has managed to make strides in conducting its campaign throughout the country.

“They say faith without works is dead; our faith is in God to deliver and we show our faith by making sure that the public is informed about what is going on,” he

said. “And so we have produced an hour long documentary, we’ve started to grow a lot of our commercials, but if the public would like to see them we’re going to need to be able to have the financing to get them placed on the various TV and radio stations.

He added: “We continue to ask the public that is concerned about the issue to feel free to aid us in getting the message out. They can make cheques payable to Grace Community Church, with a subscript for Save Our Bahamas campaign, and we’ll take it from there.”

Last month, Constitutional Commission Chairman Sean McWeeney said proponents of the vote “yes” and vote “no” cam-

paigns for the upcoming constitutional referendum on gender equality should have equal access to public funds.

Mr McWeeney said at the time that if public money is used to fund the Yes Bahamas campaign - which group co-chair Sharon Wilson has confirmed is the case - then the government should give equal funds to a group representing the opposing campaign.

Mr Christie, meanwhile has not said if the government has or will give funds for purposes outside of operational issues relating to hosting the referendum, though officials have left no doubt which side they want to succeed, with most urging Bahamians to vote “yes” to the amendments.

PAGE 6, Friday, May 20, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

Smith considers contempt petition against Mitchell

By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net ATTORNEY Fred Smith, QC, yesterday threatened to file a motion to hold Foreign Affairs minister Fred Mitchell in contempt of court over his statements against the injunction barring parliamentarians from disclosing confidential information of environmental group Save The Bays.

Mr Smith, lawyer for yhe environmental group Save The Bays, accused Mr Mitchell of displaying a disregard for a live constitutional case before the Supreme Court and warned that he may pursue contempt proceedings. Mr Mitchell is one of two parliamentarians at the heart of a constitutional dispute concerning the recent disclosure and tabling of STB’s private emails in Parliament.

On Wednesday, the Fox Hill MP called the actions now before the court “nonsense” and said he hoped that court officials would see their way clear to deal with the actions appropriately.

The Foreign Affairs and Immigration Minister further insisted that he does not consider himself bound by any injunction issued by

the court as it applies to attempts to stifle what is said in the House.

Mr Smith said: “Mr Mitchell is proclaiming that he will continue to say what he wants say and ignore the injunction and at the same time, his attorney takes a different position in court.”

“Mr Mitchell can’t have his cake and eat it too.”

The current action before Justice Charles was brought by the Coalition to Protect Clifton Bay (Save The Bays); Zachary Bacon, the brother of hedge fund billionaire Louis Bacon, a resident of Lyford Cay, Mr Fred Smith and Mr Feron Bethell.

Dr Lloyd Barnett, Loren Klein, Franklyn Williams (Deputy Director of Legal Affairs), Darcell SmithWilliamson and Hyacinth Smith appear for Mr Jerome Fitzgerald, Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell (2nd respondent) and Attorney General Allyson MaynardGibson (3rd respondent).

Yesterday, Justice Indra Charles said she had not seen the news relative to Mr Smith’s complaint.

“It appeared on all the radio stations,” Mr Smith said, “the TV broadcasts, and in all of the print media. He clearly said ‘I intend to ignore what the court says. Either Mr Mitchell, through his counsel is going

to accept the jurisdiction of the court, as Dr Barnett said, or not.”

Dr Barnett said he had no instructions on this matter, adding that it should not interfere with current proceedings.

Mr Smith, while agreeing that the proceedings could still continue, urged that the issue was not trivial. He aded that he didn’t think Mr Mitchell’s attorney or the AG’s attorney “should get away that easily”.

“Mr Mitchell is taking a completely different position from his lawyers,” Mr Smith said.

“After these proceedings, we may file a motion to hold Mr Mitchell in contempt for failure to allow due process and to adhere to the jurisdiction of this court.”

The judge noted the applicant’s right to make such an application and asked for the substantive case to continue.

In March, Mr Fitzgerald, the Minister of Education, accused STB of being a political organisation seeking to “overthrow” the Progressive Liberal Party government under the guise of an environmental group. During his contribution in the House of Assembly, Mr Fitzgerald read private emails from STB members and others, which he said bolstered his claims.

Mr Fitzgerald further warned members of the environmental group to “batten down” because a “category five” hurricane was on its way, as he threatened to table “every single” email and bank statement in his possession if needed to protect his integrity and parliamentary privilege.

Also in Parliament, Mr Mitchell claimed that some $8.25m has been filtered through various organisations connected with STB - locally and internationally - from 2013 to 2015.

Last month, STB was granted an interlocutory injunction restraining the government from further disclosing the group’s confidential information in Parliament. The injunction was granted by Justice Charles to last until May 12. However, it remains in place until the conclusion of the substantive case.

The judge’s order said government ministers are “prohibited” from any further appropriation, perusal, use, publication or disclosure in Parliament or elsewhere of any correspondence, including emails, belonging to the applicants.

Counsel for the respondents are expected to make their responding submissions today when the matter resumes.

FRED Mitchell

DORSETT INSISTS LAW FOLLOWED ON MORTGAGE CORP AUDITS

from page one

Cabinet ministers are expected to table documents for institutions like the BMC on an annual basis.

Mr Dorsett took issue with The Tribune’s report that stated audits for the BMC were consistently tabled under the former Ingraham Administration. He called the report misleading, and underscored that audits tabled for that period were submitted by him.

“In 2012, when I took the helm, as chairman, at BMC it was discovered that there had not been an audit carried out since 2008,” Mr

MINISTER of Environment Kenred Dorsett.

Dorsett said.

“To remedy this, we contracted the firm of Beneby

& Co. which produced audited financial reports for 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.

This, of course, was a herculean task given the number of transactions and clients that BMC has.

“These audited financials were turned over to Minister of the Environment and Housing, Hon Kenred Dorsett. They were approved for tabling by Cabinet and tabled in the House of Assembly on May 27th, 2015

by Minister Dorsett.”

Parliamentary records confirm that last May Mr Dorsett tabled audits for the BMC for the years 2009 to 2012.

However, former BMC

Chairman Dr Duane Sands yesterday maintained that the previous administration conducted annual audits.

“When I took over the mortgage corporation, the books were in shambles,” Dr Sands said. “We let the financial controller go when I took over there. We had to bring in a whole new financial team in order to sort out the ledger to get to the point where the auditors could actually make a statement about the books. We had to hire an independent auditor.”

Gowon Bowe, of PricewaterhouseCooper, the firm hired by the previous Ingraham administration to

conduct audits, confirmed yesterday that the firm completed annual audits at the BMC up to 2010.

The Tribune reported on Thursday that cabinet members have sometimes failed to table audits on a timely basis as required by law.

When it comes to such financial statements, gaps exist in the public record with respect to the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA), the Water & Sewage Corporation (WSC), the Broadcasting Corporation, the Bahamas Mortgage Corporation, the College of the Bahamas and the Hotel Corporation of the Bahamas.

PLP RATIFIES FITZGERALD AND HALKITS FOR 2017 RACE

from page one

The incumbent MPs were ratified in their current constituencies of Marathon and Golden Isles respectively.

The announcement came during the monthly meeting of the National General Council at the party’s Farrington Road headquarters last night. PLP Party Chairman Bradley Roberts praised the selection of both men, noting that he was proud to have worked with them in Parliament

and at the party and constituency levels.

“They have represented themselves, the Bahamas government and the Bahamians people well,” Mr Roberts said.

The selections come on the heels of the ratification of incumbent Yamacraw MP Melanie Griffin and former Education Minister Alfred Sears in the Fort Charlotte constituency.

The ratification of Mr Fitzgerald comes as the Marathon constituency continues to work its way through the protracted Ru-

bis fuel spill debacle. In the wake of the 2013 incident, the government refused the make the findings of a independent Black and Veatch International report into the spill public for more than a year. The report found that Marathon residents were possibly exposed to harmful chemicals, including cancer-causing benzene.

Mr Fitzgerald said the delay in making the Black and Veatch report public was due to the Attorney General not authorising its release.

Mr Fitzgerald is going to be challenged by Democratic National Alliance (DNA) candidate Emily Williams and Free National Movement (FNM) candidate Romauld Ferreira, an environmental lawyer and advocate for the residents of Marathon.

Mr Halkitis, while not caught in such controversy as Mr Fitzgerald, has come under fire for his handling of a number of national economic matters. Most recently he criticised media outlets for writing “doom and gloom” articles about

the government’s finances during his contribution to the mid-year budget debate in the House of Assembly.

The government has faced staunch opposition on the implementation of Value Added Tax, with some detractors blaming the country’s sluggish economic growth on the tax – all of that coming on the watch of Mr Halkitis.

In the upcoming general elections, Mr Halkitis is expected to be challenged

by DNA candidate Stephen Greenslade and the FNM’s Kenyatta Gibson.

POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING SOCIAL SERVICES FRAUD CLAIM

from page one

Mr Ferguson explained that complaints related to the matter did not come directly to the Office of the Commissioner, but were “rerouted”. He maintained that an investigation was launched after the request was made on May 11th.

“Now there is an active investigation into it,” he said.

Auditor General Terrance Bastian, in his report, concluded that some staff members of the DSS participated in a fraudulent scheme using food coupons intended for Bahamians on welfare to purchase groceries.

One staff member has already been fired after admitting to participating while two others have been put on administrative leave.

By using the coupons for 10 different clients, several employees of the DOSS were able to obtain grocery items on August 30, 2015.

“The store’s name as printed on the coupons had been manually crossed out and replaced with an existing food store’s name,” Mr Bastian said.

Mr Bastian’s report also exposed a litany of weaknesses in the DSS’ accounting department and raised questions about how effectively top officials provided oversight and management for the period July 2013 and June 2015.

The changes in Bahamian waters Your Say

By MARC YAGGI GROWING up in landlocked Pennsylvania, I always was enamoured with the marine environment.

The Bahamas, in my mind, were a magical and mythical archipelago of sun-soaked beaches, friendly people and crystal clear, turquoise waters full of a vibrant kaleidoscope of fish.

The islands captured our imagination through vehicles like ‘Splash’, ‘Thunderball’ and ‘Flipper’. People around the world have a vision of the Bahamas as paradise.

Now, having been to The Bahamas a few times over the past decade, I see that all of those things are

true. However, when you look closely, you can see that some of the magic of The Bahamas is getting tarnished.

I recently spent a day on Clifton Bay in New Providence with my friends Joseph Darville, Rashema Ingraham, Paco Nunez and others from Waterkeepers Bahamas, Save the Bays, Clifton Waterkeeper, Bimini Waterkeeper and Grand Bahama Waterkeeper. Before joining the Waterkeeper team, I snorkelled at the same reef I had snorkelled about eight years ago. It was very obvious that the reef had undergone significant stress, as there were fewer fish and the coral had clearly seen better days.

During a boat ride in the afternoon, the Waterkeeper

team showed me more of the dark underbelly of this tropical paradise. We saw massive oil plumes from the government’s Bahamas Electricity Corporation fouling some of the clearest waters on earth. The stench of oil was dizzying. Nearby the utility, we saw diving boats and buoys covered in black oil. Adding insult to injury, Bahamians pay roughly three times a kilowatt hour than I do in New York.

How is a sun-drenched island nation like this not leading the way in the solar revolution?

We further saw evidence of a private landowner dredging in the bay and creating an additional three acres of prime beachfront – effectively taking land away

from the public and dramatically altering the marine ecosystem. This activity included dumping plastic bags filled with sand and other materials on the bay floor, changing the natural movement of sand across the bay and diminishing the accretion of sand at Clifton National Park – home to one of New Providence’s few public beaches.

There is a lot of work to do in order to repair the damage done by oil spills, illegal development, and other insults to this island nation’s water resources.

And there is a steep hill to climb, as The Bahamas lacks significant and meaningful environmental protection laws. The one exception is the Planning and Subdivision Act of 2010,

which currently is under threat. Newly proposed legislation would remove many of the key provisions of the Act that help prevent haphazard development and conserve the natural heritage and resources of The Bahamas.

Fortunately, the Waterkeepers in the Bahamas are a great team, full of knowledge, passion, and commitment. They recognise that outspoken, citizen-led advocacy is the only way to ensure the laws are enforced and that their waters, livelihoods, and health are protected. They are educating the public about the importance of their critical water resources; advocating for a freedom of information law to increase transparency in decision mak-

ing; defending the integrity of the Planning and Subdivision Act; pushing for renewable energy options; and enforcing laws to remedy existing violations. They are demanding to be heard to ensure their communities are being protected and laws are being followed. It will be their grassroots advocacy that can ensure The Bahamas will not lose their magic.

Marc Yaggi is Executive Director of Waterkeeper Alliance, the largest and fastest growing non-profit organisation solely focused on clean water. He has dedicated his career to environmental advocacy and has been instrumental in expanding the Waterkeeper movement around the world for nearly 20 years.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, May 20, 2016, PAGE 7

BASMI meets with school principals on Grand Bahama

BY DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net WARNING that it’s “unsustainable” for the Bahamas to rely on food imports, BAMSI president Godfrey Eneas yesterday pushed for greater measures to restore the country’s “collapsed” agricultural sector.

“We cannot continue to import food, it is unsustainable,” he said, noting that in 2050 there will be nine billion persons on earth.

“You have to do something to enhance food production or we will be in trouble - that’s how acute the situation is about food.”

Mr Eneas, Bahamian Agriculturalist Ambassador, met with school principals in Grand Bahama at the Foster Pestaina Hall on Thursday.

The Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI) representatives, led by Dr Eneas, travelled to Freeport to speak with school officials with a view to recruiting high school students for the upcoming semester.

Plans were announced for the establishment of a Grand Bahamas based Tutorial Farm by BAMSI to encourage a greater level of farming in Grand Bahama.

Dr Eneas indicated that commercial farming/agriculture is an important

aspect of any country, and noted the commercial farming has declined drastically in The Bahamas over the past three decades.

He recalled that in 1978 there were 89,000 acres of land in production and there were 10,000 jobs created within the agricultural industry.

Today, there are less than 10,000 acres in production, according to Dr Eneas.

“It has declined by 80,000 acres; that is how the agriculture sector has collapsed in our country,” he said.

Dr Eneas said he had advised the government that there are 10,000 jobs in the agricultural sector - so there is no question about the jobs - it is a 1978 figure.”

He pointed out that food security is a serious issue and also emphasised that Bahamians are consuming too much processed foods, which has resulted in the prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, and cancer.

“We are eating badly, we are eating ourselves sick eating cheap processed foods with high sugar and salt content,” he explained.

He noted that The Bahamas has one of highest health care costs in the region, which has changed significantly compared to the days when The Bahamas was more rural and there was farming in the family islands.

“We are in a situation that is acute,” Dr Eneas said. He encouraged Bahamians to attend the Tutorial Farm and get their certificate and apply for Crown Land in East End where there is fertile land for farming.

“The advantage is that Grand Bahama has a built in market of 75,000 people,” he said.

In her presentation, Dr Raveenia Hanna, executive director, Academic Institute, reported that there are about 70,000 Bahamians on food assistance in The Bahamas.

She also pointed out that the country spends $1 billion in food imports from the United States, and further noted that the average age of farmers in the country is 63 years old.

In an effort to change all that, Dr Hanna emphasised that major objectives of BAMSI were aimed at getting a younger generation involved in agriculture and marine sciences.

“The institute intends to empower persons in fishing, and to encourage a younger generation of agripreneurs, and provide affordable nutritious and sustainable food supply for our country,” she said.

She told principals that students with five BGCSEs with C and above can attend BAMSI at no cost. She said there are certificate

JERI Kelly and Erin Cash, BAMSI lecturers, pictured last year at the site’s aquaponics farm. courses and a associate degree in agriculture. Persons completing their Associate degree with BAMSI can also enrol at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad to complete their Bachelor‘s programme.

Dr Hanna said that marine science is also important and noted that in 2030 it is estimated that over 62 per cent of the fish eaten worldwide would be farmed, not fished.

Another BAMSI representative noted that the Bahamas has 3.6 million acres of land and 100,000 square miles of ocean. “That makes us the second largest country in Caricom,” said the representative.

Jack Hayward High School Principal Mr Herbert Marshall commended the government on BAMSI. “It is long overdue and we needed to have something like this a long time

ago in the Bahamas.” he said.

Mr Marshall also expressed concerned over the issuance of Crown Land to persons who have no experience in farming and are doing nothing worthwhile with the land. He questioned whether preferential treatment will be given persons who graduate from BAMSI for Crown land for farming. Dr Eneas said it was a good point.

MAN ACCUSED OF MURDER GRANTED BAIL AHEAD OF RETRIAL

By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

A MAN awaiting retrial on a murder charge was granted bail in the Supreme Court yesterday.

Zhivargo Saunders, 26, appeared before Senior Justice Stephen Isaacs for a bail application that was argued by his lawyer Geoffrey Farquharson.

Saunders is alleged to have been the culprit be-

hind the January 29, 2013, death of Dustin Culmer, the country’s ninth homicide for that year.

On the night in question, 23-year-old Culmer was chased into Kennedy Subdivision before he

was shot multiple times in the upper body, dying in front of a house off Zinna Street.

Saunders, who denied the allegation when formally arraigned in the Supreme Court, stood trial the fol-

lowing year but a mistrial was declared.

However, a retrial was ordered but a date was never set.

It was on that basis that Saunders and Mr Farquharson sought bail yester-

day.

The judge granted the request and gave Saunders a $9,500 bond with suretors and reporting conditions.

Algernon Allen II appeared for the Crown.

PAGE 10, Friday, May 20, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

Punch drunk political pugilists top the news bill

A Comic’s View

Direct from Ringside!

‘

By INIGO ‘NAUGHTY’ ZENICAZELAYA

B

ACK in his day, former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau said “the essential ingredient of politics is timing”.

Well I guess our politicians have decided that, with the upcoming gender referendum taking a beating in the court of public opinion, now is as good a time as any to pivot to 2017.

Yes, my friends, while the country is embroiled in a hot debate surrounding the upcoming June 7 referendum and the various ‘vote No’ and ‘vote Yes’ teams remain busy lighting up the talk show lines with their two cents on gender equality, our ‘prizefighting’ politicians have turned their scopes on each other.

Instead of contributing to the national debate they have moved past (perhaps conceded?) June and are concentrating their efforts on bashing each other on the head ahead of the vote they really care about - next year’s general election.

Honestly, never have I witnessed a single week so filled with insults, egoinjuries and ingenious preemptive strikes as this past week. PLPs were calling out PLPs ... FNMs were recording FNMs. And of course the DNA remained ‘all mix up in big people business’.

By midweek, the arguments got so positively pugilistic that I literally pulled out my old boxing scorecards just to keep track of who was ‘beefing’ with who and who had to ‘put some respeck’ on whose name.

In case you missed it, here’s a recap:

MATCH 1: LINCOLN V LANISHA In the red corner: (now former) Senator Lanisha Rolle (FNM) In the blue corner: political hopeful Lincoln Bain (FNM) The fight: despite the high probability of Mrs Rolle becoming embroiled in another political bust-up, this particular matchup I didn’t see coming.

The two young FNMs had made numerous radio appearances together and seemed tight in philosophy and strategy. However, things apparently took a turn for the worse when Rolle tried to outmanouvre Bain for the Pinewood constituency nomination.

She allegedly hit him with a verbal beatdown to make him back down from seeking the Pinewood seat.

By midweek, the arguments got so positively pugilistic that I literally pulled out my old boxing scorecards just to keep track of who was ‘beefing’ with who and who had to ‘put some respeck’ on whose name.’

That’s when the shrewd (some say shady?) Bain hit her with the knockout punch in the form of recorded conversations between the two.

Result: a quick and painless knockout of Mrs Rolle, who allegedly spoke so disparagingly of her fellow FNMs she basically had to run out of the ring.

Winner: no contest (Bain was also disqualified for hitting below the belt).

Hube MINN rt IS

Branville Y E N T R A McC ALSO FEATURING:

Fred SMITH v Fred MITCHELL Alfred SEARS v Obie WILCHCOMBE Lincoln BAIN v Lanisha ROLLE (recording available for those not at ringside) BONUS MATCH: Shane GIBSON v Branville McCartney

MATCH 2: SEARS V WILCHCOMBE In the gold corner: Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe (PLP) In the blue corner: Former Attorney General Alfred Sears (PLP) The fight: now that Sears has been formally nominated as the standard bearer for the Progressive Liberal Party in the constituency of Fort Charlotte, he was welcomed back to the game with a quick jab to the torso by fellow party member Wilchcombe.

With rumours abounding that Sears may be in line for future leadership of the party, his fellow member (and also a leadership hopeful) Wilchcombe wasted no time reminding the public that Sears is a part of the team that failed to bring to full fruition the Caribbean Muzik Festival that reportedly cost tax payers over $600,000.

Result: Wilchcombe publicly embarrassed the ‘distinguished gentleman’ Sears, who responded with a weak ‘He cyan be talking ‘bout me!!??’ in the press.

Winner: Wilchcombe.

His pre-emptive strike on Sears gave him the unanimous decision on the judges’ scorecards. Extra points for shutting down the dubious web shop/foodstore gaming alliance in the same

week.

(Seriously, Mama shouldn’t have to choose between buying bread or ‘numbers’.)

MATCH 3: FRED V FRED In the reddish green corner: Attorney Fred Smith, QC (Independent) In the gold corner: Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Fred Mitchell (PLP) The fight: the Queen’s Counsel Smith has launched a lawsuit that threatens to

beat the brakes (and designer pants) off Minister Mitchell. In a court action that could see tens of millions of dollars move from the public treasury (and Mitchell’s personal bank accounts) to members of the environmental group Save The Bays after Mitchell (and Minister of Education Jerome Fitzgerald) were accused of allegedly becoming complicit in violating the constitutional rights of STB members by reading private emails in the House of Assembly under ‘privilege’, it’s clear Smith is not pulling any punches.

For his part, Mitchell jabbed back publicly by declaring “So this is war. This is war.”

Winner: undecided.

Though the feisty Smith is ahead on all judges’ scorecards.

MAIN EVENT: MCCARTNEY V MINNIS

YOUR

CHOICE FOR THE FAMILY WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/JOYFM1019

In the green corner: Attorney Branville McCartney (DNA leader) In the red corner: Dr. Hubert Minnis (FNM leader) The fight: after a (juicy?) rumour began circulating concerning a possible coalition government formed by the official opposition Free National Movement and fledgling Democratic National Alliance should they be victorious after the next general election, Bahamians were left scratching their heads after DNA leader Branville McCartney seemed to co-sign on the idea right before landing a suckerpunch on

FNM leader Minnis.

McCartney had tongues wagging and onlookers ogling when he declared: “Together, we would be the worst nightmare for the PLP.” But McCartney quickly turned and landed a UFC-style knee to the groin of Minnis by saying, “The FNM is in the worst state they have ever been in ... they have a leader who lost five senators in the last four years, a leader who no one wants, a leader who let the PLP grab his testicles, tie them together and wrap them around his back.”

(Please don’t imagine the visual as you read. It’s not a pretty sight.)

Minnis fought back with a soft jab to the head of the ambitious McCartney by claiming he was “turned off” by the DNA leader’s arrogance.

Winner: McCartney by technical knockout.

(Honestly, once you verbally wrap a man’s testicles around his back you pretty much win the match. And if you do it physically, you are ‘champ’ for life).

Besides, the DNA benefits more from these “coalition” rumours than does the FNM. (Smarten up FNM public relations team.)

BONUS MATCH: GIBSON V MCCARTNEY In the gold corner: Minister of Housing Shane Gibson (PLP) In the green corner: Attorney Branville McCartney (DNA Leader) The fight: while DNA

leader McCartney was making his victory lap around the ring after the technical knockout of Minnis, the savvy street fighter Gibson leapt into the ring and landed a stunning blow on McCartney. Declaring McCartney a “wannabe politician”, Gibson hit him in the mouth and shouted to the audience, “Who listens to Branville McCartney?

Whatever he has to say I don’t listen, I didn’t hear and I’m not interested.”

McCartney didn’t see it coming.

Adding insult to injury, Gibson also announced (in the immortal words of Basketball Housewife Evelyn Lozado) that the staggering McCartney was “a non-factor”.

Winner: Gibson by knockout. (You can’t fight what you don’t see coming.)

Final analysis After all the matches it’s clear that the undisputed loser in all of this is the Bahamian public.

We definitely need to throw in the towel on some of these punch-drunk politicians. No doubt, we need our own ‘Creed’.

Tell me, where are the new contenders?

• Inigo ‘Naughty’ Zenicazelaya is the resident standup comic at Jokers Wild Comedy Club at the Atlantis, Paradise Island, resort and presents ‘Mischief and Mayhem in da AM’ from 6am to 10am, Monday to Friday, and ‘The Press Box’ sports talk show on Sunday from 10am to 1pm on KISS FM 96.1. He also writes a sports column in The Tribune on Tuesday. Comments and questions to naughty@ tribunemedia.net

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Cycling Club Bahamas Cycling Club Bahamas. Weekday rides, east: morning, Tuesday & Thursday leaving 5am sharp from Sea Grapes Shopping Centre, East Prince Charles Drive.

This ride is a 17-mile loop to the Northbound Paradise Island Bridge and back again (both bridges are sometimes incorporated depending on available time). Open to riders capable of 18mph+ for 1 hour.

Weekday rides, west: morning, Wednesdays & Fridays leaving 4:45am sharp from Cable Beach Police Station, West Bay St. This ride is a 20-mile loop.

The route is varied. Open to riders capable of 18mph+ for 1 hr. Contact Shantel to confirm your attendance.

Afternoon, Tuesdays & Thursdays leaving 5:30pm sharp from Lyford Cay Gas Station Parking Lot. This ride is 18-20 miles depending on whether you choose to do a second loop. Recommended for Strong Riders capable of 20mph+ for 1-1.5hrs. Intermediate Riders 18-22mph - see Spyda.

Weekend rides: Saturdays leaving 6am sharp from Harbour Bay Shopping Centre in front of First Caribbean Bank (Starbuck’s) 30-40 miles headed West.

Leaving P/I bridges optional at the end. The pace will range from 18–20+mph, 2.5 hour duration.

Sundays leaving 6am sharp from Harbour Bay Shopping Centre in front of First Caribbean Bank (Starbuck’s) 40-50 miles headed east. P/I bridges optional at the end. The pace will range from 18–20+mph, 3-3.5 hour duration (cyclists are invited to join in anywhere along the route).

Youth Cycling Developmental Programme, each Saturday, at The Tracks.

Contact Barron on 5525128.

June 4 Pineappleman Sprint Triathlon, Gregory Town, Eleuthera, register online @active.com.

July 2 & 3 Independence T/T and Road Race, Nassau.

Friday, May 20, 2016, PAGE 11 July 23 Seagillian Cycling Fest, Spanish Wells, Eleuthera.

August 13 & 14 Viva! Bahamas Invitational T/T and Road Race, Nassau, Bahamas.

September 24 Potcakeman main event triathlon, Nassau, Bahamas.

February 4 - Second Annual Bahamas Medical Center Dri Tri. February 18 - Ride For Hope, Governor’s Harbour, Eleuthera.

Hands For Hunger Hands For Hunger.

- With two exciting initiatives, the Dine On The Line Challenge and the Food For Thought Series, Hands For Hunger plans on bringing awareness to the reality of hunger and food costs in The Bahamas. Many people have already signed up for Dine On The Line, which challenges people to spend only $4 a day on food for four consecutive days, May 23rd–May 26.

This challenge is based on the 2013 Department of Statistics Household expenditure survey, which determined that 43,000 people live on the poverty line in The Bahamas and have only $3.82 to spend on food each day. Participants have agreed to undergo this challenge in order to bring attention to the reality of hunger in The Bahamas and to share their experience with friends, family, and on social media.

“It’s easy to take food for granted, and many of us probably don’t realise how a lack of food can have negative impacts on all other areas of our life,” says one participant who has already signed up for the challenge.

Through Dine On The Line, Hands For Hunger hopes to encourage a sense of empathy and compassion among Bahamians in the hopes of creating a transformed Bahamas, where everyone has ac-

cess to three nutritious, fortifying meals a day.

Participants who officially sign up and donate $25 will receive a T-Shirt to be worn after the challenge is completed. Visit www. handsforhunger.org/events to sign up and reserve your T-shirt.

The dialogue continues with the fourth annual Food For Thought Panel discussion, presented by RBC Royal Bank, JetBlue, and the Rotary Club of West Nassau. This year’s theme is The High Price of Food: Farms, Fuel, and Funny Weather. The provocative conversation will be held at the British Colonial Hilton at 6pm on May 26 and promises to be an enlightening evening, as the panel of regional and international experts discuss some of the factors that contribute to the cost of food in The Bahamas.

When asked why Hands For Hunger decided to focus this year’s panel on the high cost of food, executive director, Zeleka Knowles, said: “We are noticing that more and more people are concerned about how expensive food has become.

We realise that if the middle class is struggling, we need to take a closer look at the 43,000 Bahamians living on the poverty line, and understand what the high price of food has meant for them.”

Hands For Hunger, the local charity organisation committed to the elimination of hunger and food waste, is perhaps best known for its Food Rescue Programme that has served the New Providence community since 2008. This primary function of the organisation is to repurpose high-quality, fresh and prepared foods from restaurant, hotel, farm, wholesale, and bakery donors to distribute the goods back into the community through 14 recipient outreach agencies.

Hands For Hunger also hosts an engaging conversation on The High Price of Food: Farms, Fuel, and Funny Weather on May 26 at 6pm at the British Colonial Hilton.

OUR Clubs and Societies page is a chance for you to share your group’s activities with our readers.

To feature on our Clubs

JOIN THE CLUB and Societies page, submit your report to clubs@tribunemedia.net, with “Clubs

Page” written in the subject line.

For more information about the page, contact Stephen Hunt on 502-2373 or 447-3565.

PAGE 12, Friday, May 20, 2016

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ATTENDEES at the rebranding reception at Harbour Bay Plaza for 700 Wines and Spirits.

THE UNVEILING of the new 700 Wines and Spirits logo by Commonwealth Brewery Limited.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

A new look for Commonwealth retail outlets COMMONWEALTH Brewery Ltd, the largest and oldest wines and spirits distributor in The Bahamas, is re-branding its retail locations across the country, the first significant makeover in the company’s 30-year history.

With over 55 stores in more than 11 islands, Commonwealth Brewery announced this week that its retail outlets will operate under the name 700 Wines & Spirits, a new identity that the company says better reflects its strong cultural ties and unites its retail presence across The Bahamas. On Wednesday, its store in Harbour Bay Shopping Plaza was unveiled at an evening reception for guests and clients.

Previously, Commonwealth’s stores operated as Butler & Sands, Burns House, Wholesale Wines and Spirits, Bethel Robertson and Ole Nassau liquor stores. However, few customers were aware that the same company operated the stores and the launch of the 700 Wines & Spirits brand is designed to unify these retail stores under a

stronger and single identity, the company says.

The 700 Wines & Spirits brand is a reflection of The Bahamas’ archipelagic make-up. The name refers to the country’s 700 islands and cays and “demonstrates a deep sense of Bahamian pride and alludes to the retailer’s expansive product offering and national reach”, according to a company statement.

“Today, 700 Wines & Spirits is the nation’s choice supplier of the world’s leading alcoholic beverages, and with over 55 stores across more than 11 islands, the brewery and beverage company has long played an integral role in enhancing special occasions and cultural celebrations. This involvement is recognised in the company’s new tagline, ‘Celebration Across the Nation’, which, coupled with the brand’s use of a patriotic colour palette - black, aquamarine and gold - evokes feelings of pride, familiarity and ownership,” it said in its announcement.

Commonwealth Brewery Managing Director Hans Neven said: “700 Wines &

Spirits enables the way we celebrate every day, mark special occasions and toast our successes. Our company has always been committed to bringing a spotlight to the traditional Bahamian cultural activities like Junkanoo, homecomings and regattas. We help our people to celebrate national pride, nationwide every day.”

Commonwealth Brewery and 700 Wines and Spirits Retail Director Dennis Hanna added that the rebranding marks a new chapter for the company as it strives to enhance customer satisfaction through a commitment to delivering quality retail experiences and products. “With the 700 Wines & Spirits rebranding, customers can expect the same superior service, and wide range of premium beers, wines and spirits, but we’re taking that to another level,” Mr Hanna said. “Whether in New Providence or any other Family Island, it will be much easier for consumers to identify our stores and benefit from promotions we advertise regularly via radio and newspaper.”